[imagesource: Skydance]

All together now…

‘MERICA!!

This past weekend, Top Gun: Maverick premiered around the world.

There were ‘man tears’ – which are not only allowed but encouraged – and there were insane box office numbers. Between Friday’s opening and yesterday, the film took in $124 million in the US alone, which makes it the strongest debut of Tom Cruise’s career by far.

Worldwide, that total is $248 million.

1986’s original Top Gun has been heralded as one of the US Air Force’s most successful recruiting tools ever. By some estimates, interest in US Navy flight training rose 500% that year, and similar (but unverified) claims have been made about interest in fighter pilot training in the US Air Force.

Officials hope the sequel heralds similar results and are going all out. Theatregoers (or cinemagoers, if that’s more your jam) in the US were treated to something extra special before the movie kicked off.

A new “Own The Sky” US Air Force commercial is running, reports Flying Mag:

The slick minute-long ad features Air Force pilots pulling Gs while flying high-speed maneuvers in F-35 Lightning IIs and F-22 Raptors.

“The intensity of this spot is stunning, so hold on to your popcorn because we are bringing the Air Force to your seat,” Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, AFRS commander, said in a statement. “There are more than 130 career options an Airman can take on their full or part-time journey to defend our skies. The air superiority in this video just gives you a glimpse of a small percentage of what is possible when you join us.”

Observe:

“The entire sky belongs to us.”

Hey, if you can steal land from its original Native American inhabitants, why not claim the sky as well?

General Thomas went on to say that they’re looking at “the toughest recruiting market in more than 20 years” so perhaps the film has come at just the right time.

Writing for The Daily Maverick, Tevya Turok Shapiro has called it “a stunning feat of US military propaganda”:

The time couldn’t be better to inspire the masses, and Paramount Pictures were more than willing to help because it saved them a tremendous amount of dosh. Not only were the cast and crew given all-access passes to politically sensitive naval facilities (most prominently, a nuclear-powered Nimitz Class aircraft carrier) but also advanced training from acting technicians.

According to Shadowproof, whose reporting centres on a 2019 “assistance agreement” between Paramount and the US Department of Defense, the navy was allowed to review and approve the script and footage of the film to ensure it made the best possible impression on young would-be soldiers.

To be fair, the review ends by calling the film “highly entertaining” and “best watched on the biggest screen you can find”.

And remember, fellas, there’s no shame in shedding a tear or three. Glen Powell says so.

[sources:flyingmag&dailymaverick]